Mac app changed from ChatGPT to Codex after update — previous chats and GPTs are missing

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.715.12143

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm mariahcastello@Mac ~ %

What issue are you seeing?

After installing a required update to the ChatGPT desktop app on my MacBook, the app changed into the Codex app without me intentionally downloading or switching to Codex.

I am a ChatGPT Plus subscriber and am signed into the same OpenAI account in both the desktop app and the ChatGPT website. My Plus subscription and normal ChatGPT experience are still available through the website, but the Mac desktop app now only displays the Codex interface.

My previous ChatGPT conversations are not visible in the desktop app, and my custom GPTs are also missing. The app only shows Codex projects, coding models, plugins, automations, and other Codex-specific features.

I do not use ChatGPT primarily for coding and did not choose to replace the regular ChatGPT app with Codex. This has significantly disrupted my normal work workflow.

I have already deleted and reinstalled the Mac app, but the newly installed app still opens as Codex. I have also confirmed that I am signed into the same account that has my active ChatGPT Plus subscription.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: no-active-thread-019f6b11-25cb-74e3-87a4-9428ca87ba29

What is the expected behavior?

The Mac desktop application should continue providing the standard ChatGPT experience associated with my ChatGPT Plus subscription.

I should be able to access my existing ChatGPT conversations, custom GPTs, normal model options, and the same account content that is available through the ChatGPT website.

A routine or required app update should not replace the standard ChatGPT desktop application with a separate Codex-focused application without clear notice, explanation, or user consent.

If Codex is intended to be a separate application, I should be able to reinstall or switch back to the regular ChatGPT Mac desktop app.

Additional information

The current Codex interface is significantly more complicated and less user-friendly for non-technical users than the ChatGPT desktop app that I was previously using.

I use ChatGPT primarily for administrative work, business operations, writing, project management, and day-to-day productivity. I do not use it for software development, coding, or website creation.

Since the update:

• All of my pinned work-related projects appear to be gone.
• My custom GPTs are no longer available.
• My previous conversations are much harder to access.
• Finding old chats now requires searching for them manually.
• When an old chat is opened, it does not open in the main chat area like before.
• Instead, chats appear in a side panel workflow that is much less intuitive and more cumbersome to use.

The previous ChatGPT desktop experience was straightforward and efficient. The current Codex interface feels designed primarily for developers and technical users, which has created a significant disruption to my workflow.

Not every ChatGPT user needs coding tools, repositories, agents, terminals, or website creation features. My expectation as a ChatGPT Plus subscriber is that I should still have access to the standard ChatGPT desktop experience that matches what is available through the ChatGPT website.

At the moment, the desktop app feels like an entirely different product rather than an update to ChatGPT.

The issue is not simply that the interface changed. The issue is that a productivity tool I use daily for work was replaced with a developer-focused application that no longer supports my workflow in the same way.